Clinical Programs: Finding Massachusetts State and Local Law

In addition to the resources listed here, check the web sites for the Social Law Library and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, which provide many practical answers to Massachusetts state and local legal questions.

Boston Sources
Massachusetts State Sources

For docket information on cases litigated in the federal courts, use PACER. Please contact your nearest reference librarian for the PACER password that has been dedicated for use by the Clinical Programs.

Boston Sources

Housing Court Opinions

Land Court Opinions

City of Boston Code
Law Reserve KFX 1131 A6 1989
Online: City of Boston Code of Ordinances, an unofficial version provided by the American Legal Publishing Corp.

Boston Police Department Rules & Regulations.
The Rules and Regulations are in the information section of the clinic web site.

Massachusetts State Sources

For research on Massachusetts state law generally, see the Massachusetts Legal Research guide. Links to many Massachusetts legal forms are available from the Massachusetts Trial Courts Libraries.

Statutes

The General Laws of Massachusetts (G.L.M.) are the unannotated official version of the Massachusetts statutes.

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection, published every two years. Updated by monthly pamphlets plus an annual supplement.
Internet: General Laws of Massachusetts via the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Social Law Library: Massachusetts General Laws

For additional information and additional sources for research on Massachusetts statutes, see the guide on Statutory Research.

Administrative Regulations

The Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) is available in print in Law Mass Collection. The CMR is also available on LexisNexis, Westlaw, and selected sections are available on the Internet.

Selected regulations of interest to the clinical programs:

Department of Youth Services regulations, Mass. Regs. Code tit. 109, §§ 2.00-12.08
Motor Vehicles regulations, Mass. Regs. Code tit. 540, §§ 2.00-24.07. Note especially section 20.00, Suspension of a Person's License and Right to Operate a Motor Vehicle as a Result of the Conviction of a Violation of a Controlled Substance Act.

For additional information about research using the Code of Massachusetts Regulations and the Massachusetts Register, see the guide on Regulatory Research.

Case Law

Appellate decisions of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court may be found in the Massachusetts Reports and opinions of the Massachusetts Appeals Court may be found in Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports. The Northeastern Reporter contains opinions of both courts. All print reporters for Massachusetts appellate cases may be found in the Pappas Upper Level. Online you may find these on:

Westlaw: MA-CS database
Lexis: MA Supreme Judicial Court Cases and MA Court of Appeals Cases
Social Law Library: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Slip Opinions and Massachusetts Appeals Court Slip Opinions

For information about Massachusetts case law research generally, see the guide on Case Law Research.

There are no official reporters of decisions for any department of the Massachusetts trial court. However, for some departments (including the Superior Court, Land Court and Housing Court), decisions are published selectively in print. For more information about access to trial court decisions, see the research guide on Case Reporters.

The Social Law Library provides online access to recent decisions of the Superior Court, Housing Court and Land Court. You must be in the law tower, or use the proxy server, to access this resource.